Dango and Sahnewal grieve as Dharmendra, their legendary son, passes away

Dango and Sahnewal, the Punjab villages linked to Dharmendra’s early life, mourn the iconic actor’s death at 89. Residents recall his humility, deep attachment to Ludhiana, and willingness to meet locals despite his busy film career

Ludhiana: Dango and Sahnewal, two nondescript villages in Punjab’s Ludhiana district situated more than 30 kilometres apart, have one thing in common — Bollywood’s He-Man Dharmendra. And now they are united in grief over the passing of the showbiz legend.

The star with a 65-year career spanning 300 films died in Mumbai on Monday at the age of 89. As the news of the legend’s death flashed across news channels, Dango and Sahnewal got into deep mourning.

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Born in Dango village in 1935, Dharam Singh Deol and his family shifted to Sahnewal and settled there after his father, Kewal Kishen Singh Deol, a schoolteacher, was transferred there. While Sahnewal is mostly identified with Dharmendra, people of Dango also have fond memories of the late actor.

According to Dharmendra’s friend Parminder Singh, the actor would meet people here like an ordinary villager, shedding the aura common for a Bollywood megastar. “He made us feel that he was like any one of us,” said Dharmendra’s friend, who is now in his eighties.

Ganshyam Lote recalled that despite remaining quite busy and occupied in Mumbai, Dharmendra never forgot Ludhiana, and Sahnewal in particular. Once, some land owned by the actor’s family in Ludhiana was illegally occupied. However, with the support of the local administration, he managed to get it vacated.

While Dharmendra did not visit these places much of late due to his advanced age, the villagers attest that if anyone from these villages tried to meet him in Mumbai, the actor would gladly meet them.

A lot of people said Dharmendra was so fond of Ludhiana that he would at times delay his schedule to attend to people from the district. The actor, who would have turned 90 on December 8, was not keeping well for a while and was in and out of a Mumbai hospital with the family finally deciding to continue his treatment at home earlier this month.

He was married to Prakash Kaur. They have four children – sons, actors Bobby and Sunny Deol, and two daughters, Vijeta and Ajeeta. In 1980, the actor tied the knot with his frequent co-star Hema Malini after allegedly converting to Islam, a claim Dharmendra denied. The couple shares daughters Esha and Ahana. He was a member of the Lok Sabha from Bikaner in the 14th Lok Sabha, representing the BJP.